Imaging devices such as digital cameras are frequently used in a number of security or monitoring applications in facilities such as airports, stadiums or warehouses. For example, arrays or networks of cameras may be posted near security gates or terminals of an airport, at entryways or near focal points of a sports arena, or within or above receiving stations, storage areas or distribution stations of a fulfillment center or other distribution facility. Because imaging devices have decreased in cost and increased in quality in recent times, large numbers of such devices may be deployed in such facilities, enabling the capture, analysis or storage of still or moving images, or other information or data, regarding events, occurrences or ongoing operations at such facilities.
As with any high-technology equipment, imaging devices may be plagued by faults or discrepancies associated with one or more of their optical, electrical or mechanical components. Some of the faults or discrepancies that may be encountered may affect the quality of the images or other information or data sensed by such devices. Such faults or discrepancies may occur at random or upon the occurrence of one or more performance-related events, and may impact the clarity or quality of such images, information or data.
Unfortunately, where imaging devices are deployed in large numbers, it may be impractical, tedious and/or expensive to individually and manually assess each and every one of the imaging devices in order to determine when one or more of the faults or discrepancies has occurred. Moreover, problems affecting the capacity of an imaging device to focus on a subject, or to capture imaging information or data regarding the subject, may not be discovered and understood until feeds of such information or data are carefully evaluated. As a result, the many advantages provided by deploying imaging devices in an array or network, or in large numbers, may be frequently outweighed by the heightened demand for maintenance and inspections on such devices, and the increased amount of information or data that must be interpreted in order to identify such faults or discrepancies, in order to ensure that the quality of images or imaging data obtained by such devices is optimized or sufficient.